The overall favorite on the board right now is the Gators,
who come in as the top overall rank in the NCAA tournament fresh off an
undefeated run in SEC play.

Florida hasn't lost since December 2nd, having reeled off 26
straight wins ahead of their first round clash against the winner of Albany and
Mount St. Mary's. Victories over ranked opponents came against Kansas, Memphis
and Kentucky (on three occasions).

The Gators have been so dominant because of their top-notch
defense, which not only ranks first in the SEC but is up in the third spot
within the entire country. They've allowed 57.9 points per game on 39.9 percent
shooting overall.

Despite shockingly being announced as a four seed, the
Spartans are second on the futures list to emerge as national champions.

There's arguably no team playing better basketball than
Michigan State right now. They just dominated the Big Ten tournament in style,
beating Northwestern, Wisconsin and then Michigan all by double digits.

It wasn't exactly the kind of regular season many Spartans
fans were expecting, but injuries really hampered this team's ability to
fulfill their true potential. Everyone is back and healthy now though and we're
beginning to see the Michigan State we all expected to see.

The Spartans are led by future NBA pro Gary Harris, but
Adreian Payne, Keith Appling, Branden Dawson and Denzel Valentine have all been
instrumental to the team's success this season. Michigan State should go far.

Louisville Cardinals (+575)

Another four seed makes the cut and that's the defending
champion Cardinals.

Louisville has been a force to be reckoned with since a loss
at Memphis earlier this month. They've won five straight and all five of those
victories came in dominant fashion. Rick Pitino's crew totally dominated the
AAC tournament, steamrolling through Rutgers, Houston and then Connecticut in
the title game.

The Cardinals, of course, have the necessary experience to
make another serious run at the national championship. What's more, their offense
has been incredibly efficient throughout the season, with the team averaging
82.1 points per game thus far.

The main man to watch is Russ Smith, who returned for his
senior year in hopes to repeat as national champs. He's joined by talented
sophomore Montrezl Harrell, juniors Chris Jones and Wayne Blackshear and fellow
senior Luke Hancock as the main contributors for a team ready to do damage.

Arizona Wildcats (+700)

Though sportsbooks aren't giving the Wildcats a ton of love on the betting odds board,
they shouldn't be taken lightly whatsoever. They did enough to earn the number
one seed in the West region, which features the likes of Wisconsin, Creighton
and San Diego State.

It's not going to be an easy ride, but Arizona has fought
through adversity before and will like their chances of doing it again.

The Wildcats lost in the Pac 12 title game to UCLA, but we
shouldn't forget all the good things this team did throughout the year. Brandon
Ashley, a key hog on both ends of the floor, was lost for the season, yet
Arizona still managed to maintain their elite status.

The main offensive responsibilities will fall on Nick
Johnson, along with fab freshman Aaron Gordon and big man Kaleb Tarczewski.
T.J. McConnell is a savvy point guard who knows how to lead, while freshman Rondae
Hollis-Jefferson has elevated his play in Ashley's absence.